Does Writing Notes Actually Help?
Whether you write, type, or generate them, it’s no secret that notes are a pretty essential part of any class and the work that you do. With the exception of random student #3 from class #6 who is watching shows, most everyone is busy taking notes in each class. That being said, when you go to study for the big test or complete a homework assignment, do you actually use them?
Well, maybe asking that right away might not be the best way to go about this. Instead of thinking if you use your notes, think about a class you’re taking this semester. Think about every single page and word you’ve written in your notebook and, for each one, try and ask yourself if you’ve used it before to succeed in that class. I tried doing this, and to my surprise, within the first five pages I found something I had never used before.
The question then transforms to “Why did I write that down?”. While, most of the time, this might be answered by “because I thought it would be helpful,” I’ve found myself arriving at a different answer: I wrote it down because other students were writing things down and I didn’t want to look like I wasn’t paying attention.
That being said, I think by writing down meaningless notes I never planned to use, I was in fact not fully paying attention after all. When you write too long and too fast, your brain begins to go on auto pilot. The content itself becomes almost non-existent, and your focus becomes solely on taking good notes instead of paying attention.
Maybe it’s just me, but I’m starting to feel like I should be pickier with what I take notes on in class. Most of it will certainly benefit me later, but other parts will just tire me out and possibly even leave me confused.
